Introduction to the Italian Renaissance –    Late 1300’s – Mid 1500’s

Required Audio Lecture

Introduction to the Renaissance Transcript (PDF)

The Middle Ages were characterized by:

• An intense religiosity
• Famine and plague
• A state of war that was so persistent that it was rarely interrupted by peace
• The feudal system
• Great disparities between wealth and poverty
  

  Mary Magdalen Announcing the Resurrection to the Apostles (1120’s) St. Albans Psalter, St Godehard’s Church, Hildesheim, England

The Renaissance was characterized by:

• An interest in the individual person
• A reinvention of civilization based upon Greek and Roman ideals
• Increased opportunities for trade
• Growing power in the merchant and middle classes
• A growing interest in the arts and philosophy
  

  Quentin Massy – Netherlands, 1466-1530
  Date of work unknown

What era would you live in – the Middle Ages or the Renaissance?

Want another overview? Looking for an A in this course. This optional video is recommended to reinforce and further explain the Renaissance. Crash Course – Renaissance.